Disapointed at hitting my goal... Anyone else?

leslieirving1970

I've lost 82lbs! Sound great and yeah I've been getting nice comments and recognition, for my efforts. My original goal was to get to 140lbs,(im 5ft 3) which puts me in the upper level of what is termed as a healthy weight range for me. Im now 3lbs away from that and I gotta be honest...Im a bit disappointed. I still have a huge amount of fat round my belly and it seems so unrealistic that another loss of 14-18 lbs will make that much of a difference to how it looks. Now Iam 42, so I gotta be realistic but I do feel a little disheartened. Has anyone else felt like that, after big weight loss? Maybe Im being over critical. :indifferent:

Spudeata

Hunny - you are inspirational - we are our own worst enemies and forget to take in the journey and the bigger picture - were you happy where you were, would you want to go back there?? Bet the answer is no - so stop being so critical about yourself and embrace the wonderful lady that you are and I bet you look gorgeous - start listening to those compliments and accepting them :flowerforyou:

sam308lbs

the last 14-18 lbs make all the difference.Most people who start heavy dont even notice the first 10-20 lbs they lose but the last 18 lbs can be the difference between rock hard abs and a pooch

Inshape13

I felt the same way when I hit 65lbs because I lost it so quickly that my skin and body was not toned at all due to not doing weight training. That is when I really hit the gym and changed from a goal of pounds to a goal of body fat percentage. Firming up the stomach, inner thighs and underside of arms takes the longest and I am still not all the way there yet.....I have come a long way, but still have work to do. It will get better with time and the gym or specific types of exercises although there is no way to target the stomach in particular without losing fat and doing ab workouts. You have done great and should be proud.

xstarxdustx

I've lost 82lbs! Sound great and yeah I've been getting nice comments and recognition, for my efforts. My original goal was to get to 140lbs,(im 5ft 3) which puts me in the upper level of what is termed as a healthy weight range for me. Im now 3lbs away from that and I gotta be honest...Im a bit disappointed. I still have a huge amount of fat round my belly and it seems so unrealistic that another loss of 14-18 lbs will make that much of a difference to how it looks. Now Iam 42, so I gotta be realistic but I do feel a little disheartened. Has anyone else felt like that, after big weight loss? Maybe Im being over critical. :indifferent:

Yes, I know how you feel-going through it right now. I'm curious to see if the 'last' 12 pounds is going to make that big of a difference, but am starting to become skeptical for the same reason you mentioned. The toning that may be required isn't an option for me right now so it is pretty frustrating. I may end up re-evaluating my goal as long as it's still in the healthy bmi range.

Have you considered re-evaluating your goal as well (within reason, anyway)?

RandiLandCHANGED

I was very disappointed! Now I'm trying to lower body fat percentage while retaining lean mass instead. Once I get low enough, I'll go back to building muscle. Glute/ham definition and more abdominal definition are how I'm judging "low enough."

Congrats on your loss, though, it is fantastic.

ladyark

I've lost 82lbs! Sound great and yeah I've been getting nice comments and recognition, for my efforts. My original goal was to get to 140lbs,(im 5ft 3) which puts me in the upper level of what is termed as a healthy weight range for me. Im now 3lbs away from that and I gotta be honest...Im a bit disappointed. I still have a huge amount of fat round my belly and it seems so unrealistic that another loss of 14-18 lbs will make that much of a difference to how it looks. Now Iam 42, so I gotta be realistic but I do feel a little disheartened. Has anyone else felt like that, after big weight loss? Maybe Im being over critical. :indifferent:

Congratulations on your 82 lb loss!!! That is fantastic!! I kind of understand where you are coming from because i am 5'0 and have just lost 80 lbs and yes i still have some belly left to go and and few other places and i thought 80 lbs would be a much bigger difference but you know what.....YOU LOST 82 POUNDS!!! And yes that last 14-18 will make a huge difference. That will be the hardest and last place to lose it. And honestly you may end up still having somewhat of a little belly. Dont give up, keep working hard and you will get there. But, most of all be so very proud of what you have achieved and how great you must feel!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Are you doing any kind of strength training? I started lifting weights (compound lifts with barbells) for my last 10 lbs or so and it made a huge difference. My main regret is that I didn't start sooner.

ETA: I can't believe I forgot to say congratulations on your huge loss! :flowerforyou:

EvgeniZyntx

Read up on body composition. What you want to do is change your bf%. The mo at efficient way of doing ths is heavy resistance training. Lift weights. Go progressively heavy. You won't be disappointed.

ItsCasey

The last pounds will make a huge difference. I'm at a point now where even 2 lbs is very noticeable to me (without clothes), especially considering those pounds are fat and not muscle (I eat a ton of protein and do heavy strength training). The leaner you are, the more noticeable it is when you lose pounds, so don't be discouraged. As others have suggested, focus on body fat percentage, and if you haven't already given strength training a try, that would be a good thing to consider, as it will help you lose more fat and firm up.

Erikalynne18

There's a mental aspect to weight loss along with the physical. Sometimes it takes our minds longer to catch up to our bodies So congrats on the 82 lbs lost!!

However, just cause you reached your goal, doesn't mean you can't re-evaluate and strive to lose a couple more inches/ tone up That's what I have done Never thought I could get as low as I did and now I realized why not aim for even more awesomeness? :P That's why a lot of people encourage strength training Even when you are eating at "maintenance" you can still be active and you'll tone up over time

LisaGirlfriend

Congratulations on your amazing weight loss! I agree with everyone else. Lift weights - heavy weights! ChaLEAN Extreme is an amazing 90 day program based on lifting weights with heavy dumbbells. I'm 60 days in. Short workouts 5x a week you can do at home. I highly recommend it and I guarantee you will see your body change before your eyes.

pspetralia

The last pounds will make a huge difference. I'm at a point now where even 2 lbs is very noticeable to me (without clothes), especially considering those pounds are fat and not muscle (I eat a ton of protein and do heavy strength training). The leaner you are, the more noticeable it is when you lose pounds, so don't be discouraged. As others have suggested, focus on body fat percentage, and if you haven't already given strength training a try, that would be a good thing to consider, as it will help you lose more fat and firm up.

This. I looked at your diary and would suggest doing less reps and higher weights. I have only been at it for a few weeks and I can already see the difference- especially on my stomach and hips. The scale isn't moving, but I have lost an inch off my stomach and 1.5 inches off my hips.
Good luck and don't give up. You are doing great!!!!

PetulantOne

The last pounds will make a huge difference. I'm at a point now where even 2 lbs is very noticeable to me (without clothes), especially considering those pounds are fat and not muscle (I eat a ton of protein and do heavy strength training). The leaner you are, the more noticeable it is when you lose pounds, so don't be discouraged. As others have suggested, focus on body fat percentage, and if you haven't already given strength training a try, that would be a good thing to consider, as it will help you lose more fat and firm up.

QFT

Strength training makes all the difference.

vivaldirules

I keep extending my goal. But also realize that this is a longer term effort than just hitting a number of pounds or a number of inches or a particular look. All of that will take longer, than I ever expected, I'm sure. But even more than that, the real goal is to be healthy every single day. The goal is not a number, it's a process.

melmonroe

Continued healthy eating and exercise does cause flab to redistribute. Every time I lose weight people say that my face looks drawn (but of course, my fanny stays wide) until the fat is replaced with more muscle and firms up. When people do say that I look drawn, I have to be careful not to listen and just keep going.

Weight loss and goal weight is only the beginning. Maintenance will ultimately show you whether your goal weight was proper. If you have a lot of baggy skin though, perhaps that may require a different strategy.. No worries except keep eating healthy and keep moving.

neandermagnon

Are you doing any kind of strength training? I started lifting weights (compound lifts with barbells) for my last 10 lbs or so and it made a huge difference. My main regret is that I didn't start sooner.

ETA: I can't believe I forgot to say congratulations on your huge loss! :flowerforyou:

^^^ this

also change your focus from weight loss to decreasing your body fat percentage. This will tell you how much fat you're carrying, and also how much you need to lose to look the way you want. Leigh Peele's blog has a free download on body fat percentage, including pictures of men and women at different body fat percentages, so you can get an idea what women look like at different bf% and base your goal on that.

pjgreen0830

82 LBS! GOSH, if I lost that much I'd be so happy to have gotten down there. That is quite an accomplishment. Are you working out? Have you been doing things like planks and reverse crunches? How about some leg lifts? While you can't spot exercise away problem areas, you can do things like these that help over all. Increase the number you do on a daily basis.

leslieirving1970

Yeah, started 8 weeks ago and lost 5% body fat in the first 4 weeks! Yip I wish I too started earlier. Defo the way to go! Many thanks for the reply.

Querian

You have lost over 36% of your original body weight. That is amazing!

Now, if you go from where you currently are which I think is 143 and lose 18 pounds to get to 125 you will have to lose another 13% of your current weight. And I think it totally do-able for your height.

Like everyone else says focus more of lifting and less on cardio at this point. Do you know what your body fat % is? Most people recommend to get to 25% then to re-assess your body and figure out if you need to go lower.

One thing I would suggest: treat yourself to shopping with a personal shopper (some department stores have them). Tell the shopper that you have lost over 80 pounds but you still feel like your waist is large so you would like her to help you find an outfit that makes your waist looks good. And see what happens. Maybe your clothes are baggy and you aren't dressing to play up your assets. If you don't want to do that maybe find a friend whose style you admire and ask them to help you find a good outfit. I bet you look a lot better than you think and that you are still carrying the mental image of yourself as a much heavier person.

leslieirving1970

Thanks for all the replys, everyone! I took on a Personal trainer a few weeks back and have started strength/weight training, which Im really loving. Its funny I think I need to be more patient and wait to my brain catch up with my progress ! I totally take on board with concentraiting on body fat, instead of the scales. Ill get there !